The whole reason for the selfsufficientish website was to offer a place where anyone can ask, HOW DO I...? So who knows why it has taken us so long to have a HOW DO I? section, but here it is. So if you want to know how to do anything selfsufficientish then here is the place to ask.

I've not cooked them on their own for years. We usually use them with half a pig's head to make brawn. With that I wash the various bits thoroughly and put them in a stock pot with tons of cold water. Bring to the boil then turn it down to minimum and simmer it overnight (the water barely moving).

Next day remove all the meat, skin and bones (separating the bones as I go. Turn the heat back up under the stockpot and boil it down until it's quite concentrated. Put the meat and skin in a loaf tin, season the stock and pour it over to fill the tin. Leave to set, then slice into appropriate portion sizes and freeze what we can't use in the first week.

Otherwise, you can boil the trotters then season and roast them. Munch freely.

Keep the stock - it's gelatine. We put it into ice cube bags and freeze, chucking a couple in stews, gravies etc to enrich them.

Maggie

Never doubt that you can change history. You already have. Marge Piercy